February 28, 2015

RIP Leonard Nimoy.



RIP Anthony Mason.



They are doing a sequel to Blade Runner and Harrison Ford is back.

February 25, 2015

The extended interview of Bob Dylan in AARP Magazine is a revelation

February 22, 2015

Happy Birthday George.



I will watch the Oscars tonight. As usual. I have not seen any of the nominated pictures. People at work rave about American Sniper. I like Michael Keaton, so today I will buy and watch Birdman.



A new style of Tacos will be today's meal. Steak will be the meat.



Well, it was on sale and I do like trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to explain.

February 21, 2015

Ca-ching ! The NYS Tax refund arrived this morning. Paid off some Christmas debts and all is good. No change from what I filed for, don't know what the tie-up was but I did receive it twenty days after I filed. Guess I should just accept that NYS is slower than the Fed.



Shiner Family Reunion for the weekend's coming snow storm. Steak Enchiladas on the menu.

February 20, 2015

Another Restaurant Week visit, Morton's Midtown. Went with a crew and Educated Guess was the wine. Everyone liked it. $57 at the restaurant, $20 at any store.

Here is the explanation for the: Formulas on the label.

February 16, 2015

Hey Chase: how about paying me to see these chumps ?



Finally watched Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice on American Masters. The New Yorker article which inspired it was in the April 5, 1993 Issue: Secrets of the Magus. Great show ! Grantland has a nice piece on the documentary.



Flydini was conceived with Ricky Jay's assistance. "To Ricky, Without you there would be no Flydini. Think about it, Steve."



Blue Smoke is the first Restaurant Week visit. Love the little clothespin holding the RW menu. Great deal, go with the ribs.

February 15, 2015

Ash Wednesday this week. I will be giving up all sweets and snacking, my usual fast. It is a useful exercise, giving up things. You notice your patterns and habits. I will partake in Mardi Gras, lots of Bagels and cookies for my work mates. A colleague and I feed the masses every year. Laissez les bons temps rouler! Cajun music too.

Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.

—Genesis 3:19

The reminder of Ash Wednesday brings home that my shelf life is about 17-20 years left, God willing. Heaven knows how good my mental and physical health will stand up. I guess It brings home the point that every day should be made worthwhile.



The Clash was featured in today's NYT crossword. This is an old picture from May of 2012, a new mural was put up in 2013.

February 14, 2015

Valentine's Day drink Bloody Mary, and Godiva Truffles, accompanied by La Bourgeoisie Croissant and Pain Au Chocolat.



Great Bread, crowded at 9am.



Corona for the All-Star game.



Finally received the message I wanted: "Your return has been processed. A direct deposit of your refund is scheduled to be issued on (FEBRUARY 23, 2015). If your refund is not credited to your account within 15 days of this date, check with your bank to find out if it has been received."

February 13, 2015

Paraskevidekatriaphobia , we have three this year. One more in March and another in November.



No Valentine's Day for me but I will have a Bloody Mary and a Truffle in honor of my late wife. All-star games are not my thing but icy weather and snow makes this a stay-in weekend. It is being played in NY. Beer and wine on the menu.

February 12, 2015

Happy Birthday Abe !



JP Morgan Museum and Library had a special Lincoln exhibit. Some other interesting art.



Masks and busts done at the time. Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, George Washington.



Wild doors at Zuma on Madison Avenue.



Went to the oyster bar for lunch, they have a great beer assortment. Today was Thomas Hooker Chocolate Truffle Stout.

Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.

February 11, 2015

Don't know why my NYS refund is being held up but just received a new message: We received your return and it's in the final stage of processing. While most returns are completed within 2 weeks, it may take up to 4 weeks. This is frustrating, the return had no curve balls and I received the Fed refund in eight days.

Now the message is: "We are almost finished processing your return. Once your refund is approved, the issue date will be available." Sounds better than the last one.



Lincoln's Birthday tomorrow. Time to visit the JP Morgan Library and Museum for Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation. $18 to get in, ouch ! It is near Grand Central, so a lunch visit to the Oyster Bar is in order.

February 9, 2015

Good Lovers Lie was a good think-piece in a recent NYT. Nice quote from Sonnet 138:

When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress'd.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:

Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be.

February 8, 2015

Well. I read the book, now I have a $5 coupon from Best Buy. Supposed to be good.



This cute little book came with the BluRay / HD version. Really amusing.



$13.99, pretty good.

February 7, 2015

Left over from Super Bowl, I had a glass in my collection and threw an Orange in for good measure. I still have some Coors left, that came with the Hero.



Fed refund arrived this morning. NYS says a review is needed, don't see why, that will take an extra four weeks.

February 6, 2015

The person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which. They simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace in whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them, they are always doing both.
— Zen Buddhist text

February 3, 2015

Smith & Wollensky
Restaurant Week Winter 2015
(Lunch Only)Lunch Menu

Apps

Mixed Greens Salad
Caesar Salad
Split Pea Soup
New England Clam Chowder
Fried Calamari

Mains

Filet Mignon (10oz.)
Surf ‘n Turf Filet Mignon w/5 oz. Lobster Tail—($10 supplement)
Roast Beef Hash
Chicken Cobb Salad
Salmon Waldorf
Colossal Lump Crab Cakes
14oz. Dry-Aged Sirloin ($10 supplement)

Desserts

Cheesecake
Bourbon Pecan Pie
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Coconut Layer Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

February 2, 2015

The worst call in Super Bowl history.



Restaurant Week list of restaurants is out.

February 1, 2015

I don't like either team. I'm rooting for the food.



Barnes and Noble had a buy one get 50% off your second one DVD/Blu-Ray sale. I bought the extended editions of the first two Hobbit films. I don't have a working DVD, misplaced the cord while moving. And, the Smaug film only came in Blu-Ray. I figured that I would play it on my computer but found out that Windows 8 doesn't have the player, Windows 7 does. I saw that both could be streamed and that did the trick.



Flixster is my streaming service now. Set it up through my Roku stick. Good quality.



Filed my taxes today, a bit of a delay with the activation code. I was waiting for an internet chat and a phone call and both took forever. While waiting I tried Google and the answer was go to your acceptance E-Mail for the code. Looked, and there it was. The program had filled-in the code for the software not the filing fee code.